Designing Destiny: The Heartfulness Way is an international best-seller authored by Daaji aka Kamlesh Patel, the global guide of the Heartfulness method of meditation.
Publication Information
Patel, Kamlesh. Designing Destiny: The Heartfulness Way. Chennai: Westland, 2019.
I found this book to deeply engaging and inspiring. Given below are some excerpts from the book which interested me. The numbers before the quotes indicate the pages in which they appear in the book, publication information of which is given above.
Hope you will be induced to read the book after going through these insightful quotes:
[Facing page]
You are the experiment, you are the experimenter, and you are the outcome.
Dedicated to all sincere experimenters.
7.
When we like certain things, we attract them to our own energy field. When we dislike certain things, we think that we repel them from us, but in reality they affect us just as strongly as our likes; we just bind them in a negative way instead of in a positive way. For example, hatred can lead to thinking about a person just as strongly as love.
10.
So we need to balance this dependence on outer sources of happiness with something more enduring. To find lasting happiness, we need to look deep within ourselves. It is all about balance between the inner and the outer life.
19.
HAVING BEEN A student of spirituality most of my life, I have come to the conclusion that the purpose of any spiritual practice is to expand consciousness.
42.
I call it acquire, enliven, imbibe, become one with it, and eventually reach state of union, or AEIOU. We secure it, so it becomes one with us. We merge with it. AEIOU is easy to remember.
42.
Once serenity and purity are created within through meditation, we learn how to hold on to them. This is the art known as 'meditation with open eyes' or 'constant remembrance, in which we carry the condition received during meditation throughout the day into all aspects of our life.
44.
Try to remain in that meditative state with your open eyes. Centre yourself in your heart, be perceptive, and try to understand things with your heart. When you observe things around you, keep your attention in the heart. Let your inner radar open up. If you want to become very discerning, this is the habit to cultivate!
45.
Meditation is the mother of constant remembrance.
47.
An atmosphere that is created by our collective thoughts and feelings is called an egregore. When we all meditate together we create a subtle field of loving unity. And when enough people meditate a particular tipping point in the egregore will be reached. Then the course of humanity will change.
48.
As the English proverb says:
Sow a thought and reap an action,
Sow an action and reap a habit,
Sow a habit and reap a character,
Sow a character and reap a destiny.
52.
There is another aspect to this modern pastime of TV and the internet. What are they all about? They remind us of our incompleteness. They remind us that, 'Your husband is not like this,' or 'Your children should be like this. They remind us that we do not have a house like this, we want a car like this, we do not have friends like this, we should eat food like this, and we must visit this or that holiday destination. We sit there filling our minds with expectations and dreams, with fantasies, fairy tales and excitement that are not in our own lives. We will always feel that dissatisfied sense of 'If only my life was like that!'
52 - 53.
But in addition to impressions formed by our thoughts and actions, we also form impressions by our inactions, creating more guilt. These are the things that we should do but don't, and they haunt us all our lives. For example, we may have hurt someone very dear to us without having ever said sorry. Impressions like that are difficult to remove.
53.
Also, as well as forming our own impressions, what about those times when we become the instrument of forming impressions in the lives of others? For example, a simple throw away criticism can hurt another person so deeply that they are disturbed for days. A flirtatious glance from a pretty girl can leave a young man gaga for weeks. And if we go on polluting this beautiful planet with our careless lifestyles, definitely there will be a consequence to our actions.
62.
Prayer is communication. It can range from the superficial to the profound: it can be a simple conversation, it can evolve to progressively deeper levels of communication and, eventually, it can become a state of communion. Prayer thus evolves as a potent way to communicate with God. Prayer is about connection, and how we activate the flow of Transmission through that connection. Prayer is also about how we eventually establish a state of osmosis in that flow.
84.
So while it is good to be actively meditating regularly, it is even better to be in a meditative state. We are actively meditating every morning and meditatively active all the time. We actually don't have to do much except close our eyes and be receptive.
88.
When we read Babuji's diaries as a disciple of Lalaji, it both humbled and motivates us. He writes that he did a few things simultaneously. These I have tried to emulate and found them very useful:
1. Always remain connected through your heart with your Guide,
2. Adjust yourself with your present inner condition and try to absorb it and deepen it,
3. Prepare for the condition that is to come next; wait for it, anticipate it and look forward to it, and
4. Always be vigilant about your surroundings: what must you be doing?
97 - 98.
As Polonius said to his son, Laertes, in Shakespeare's Hamlet:
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
103.
The Heart Region of a human being is the region associated with the dualities of everyday life. Every chakra has its own polarity or duality of feelings. The first chakra, or point 1 of the Heart Region, is in the lower left part of the chest where the physical heart is found. This point is associated with the element of earth, and when we meditate we may see a glimpse of the colour yellow in the inner environment. The spectrum of feelings here is desire versus contentment, which can be equated with the lack of desire known as vairagya in Yoga.
105.
The second chakra, point 2 of the Heart Region, is on the lower right side of the chest. This is the soul chakra, where the element is ether, also known as space or akasha, and we glimpse the colour red. At this point, we find so much peace that we don't feel like doing worldly things. Whether a businessman, a student or a housewife, we lose interest in everything for some time, because peace is so inviting and we do not want to be disturbed or distracted from it. That is the quality of the second point.
The spectrum of feelings here is from anxiety or restlessness to peace.
106.
The third chakra, or point 3 of the Heart Region, is on the upper left side of the chest. This is the fire point, where we may glimpse the colour white during meditation. The feelings at this chakra are more passionate and inspirational in nature, and the spectrum is that of anger versus love. We experience them according to the impressions and desires we hold: when anger and love are clouded by worldly desires, either one can pull us down into emotional entanglements, but when they are pure both of them can propel us further on our journey.
107.
When love and anger are thus refined at point 3, this experience then translates to the next duality at point 4, on the upper right side of the chest. Courage and fear are the dual qualities of point 4. The more we are able to purify and ennoble love and anger at point 3, the better the quality of courage and fear we will have. This is the water point, where we may glimpse the colour black, and the spectrum of feelings runs like the deep current of water, encompassing fear and courage.
108.
The fifth chakra, or point 5 of the Heart Region, is also known as the throat chakra in the older yogic traditions, and is the air point of the Heart Region. Here we may glimpse the green, and the spectrum we experience here is from illusion and confusion at one end to clarity and wisdom at the other. When the field of consciousness in the heart is pure, the air element brings great clarity and wisdom, whereas confusion and illusion are an indication that there is turbulence. When this is the case, it is an indication to pause and wait for clarity to come before making any decision.
110.
Points A, B, C and D
We are constantly playing with likes and dislikes in our hearts and they affect our thinking, often without us realising it. When we like certain things and dislike others, if those responses stay in our emotional field, they settle at point C near point 1 on the lower left side of the chest area. This is the strategic point in our spiritual anatomy, as it is the landing point for impressions to enter our system. From point the impressions gravitate towards various other satellite points near point 1 of the heart. This is because different emotions have different vibrations. For example, worldly worries settle at point A, sensuality and sexual desire settle at point B, and guilt settles at point D.
When we worry about our worldly problems and brood over them, it affects point A. None of us can escape worries.
111.
Actually when we worry about challenges, it is a good indication that we have to act upon our concerns and solve the problems, and finding solutions strengthens our self confidence and mental faculties. Whereas when we keep on worrying perpetually without solving the problems as they arise, it is only going to make it worse and create heaviness at point A.
111.
There is another emotion that creates deep impressions and that is guilt. Guilt is perhaps the heaviest impression we can form. It arises out of something we did not do but should have done, or something we did but should not have done. Guilt gives rise to a lot of heaviness in the heart and settles at point D.
161.
I think that this is the prerequisite for taking the next step: we neither accept nor do we not accept. I had come to a neutral mid-point.
162.
When we come to neutrality, it is as if a burden is lifted. Whether in family life or in business, before making a final decision, come to a neutral point and see whether you should accept or reject whatever it is. When we arrive at neutrality, we let go of our prejudices and preconceptions. Prejudices make our decisions one-sided, whereas when we are neutral we are able to see with a clear vision. With neutrality, confidence is emboldened. When the direction is right, the heart feels lighter.
164.
Any collective thought-form or vibration created by a group is called an egregore. The egregore in a church, a temple or a meditation hall is one of piety, unless of course people are thinking about their problems and worries instead of meditating or praying. Every place has a different vibration and we create that atmosphere through our collective thought patterns.
202 - 203
So what was the first samskara that came into being when we were first created? It was fear, the fear of separation from our Source. Once that first samskara of fear is removed, the rest of the samskaras are able to leave on their own if we remain open to change. And in Heartfulness, that foundation of the samskaric edifice, the primordial fear, is removed in the first few introductory Meditation sessions.
During the introductory Heartfulness Meditation sessions, three gifts are given:
1. The ability to effectively practise your own daily Cleaning is enabled,
2. The Divine Light already existing in your heart is ignited, and
3. The connection between your heart and the heart of the Guide is established.
212.
So the key is to take interest in how you conduct your life, because that is what destiny is all about. Kahlil Gibran wrote in his book, The Prophet, 'Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.' It is the same with meditation. Do it with love, do it with interest. Poise, focus and enthusiasm go a long way in creating the right vibratory field for us to design your destiny. It does not take much to change the trajectory of a life - in fact, it is as simple as turning our head from one side to the other.
You are the experiment, you are the experimenter, and you are the outcome.
Dedicated to all sincere experimenters.
7.
When we like certain things, we attract them to our own energy field. When we dislike certain things, we think that we repel them from us, but in reality they affect us just as strongly as our likes; we just bind them in a negative way instead of in a positive way. For example, hatred can lead to thinking about a person just as strongly as love.
10.
So we need to balance this dependence on outer sources of happiness with something more enduring. To find lasting happiness, we need to look deep within ourselves. It is all about balance between the inner and the outer life.
19.
HAVING BEEN A student of spirituality most of my life, I have come to the conclusion that the purpose of any spiritual practice is to expand consciousness.
42.
I call it acquire, enliven, imbibe, become one with it, and eventually reach state of union, or AEIOU. We secure it, so it becomes one with us. We merge with it. AEIOU is easy to remember.
42.
Once serenity and purity are created within through meditation, we learn how to hold on to them. This is the art known as 'meditation with open eyes' or 'constant remembrance, in which we carry the condition received during meditation throughout the day into all aspects of our life.
44.
Try to remain in that meditative state with your open eyes. Centre yourself in your heart, be perceptive, and try to understand things with your heart. When you observe things around you, keep your attention in the heart. Let your inner radar open up. If you want to become very discerning, this is the habit to cultivate!
45.
Meditation is the mother of constant remembrance.
47.
An atmosphere that is created by our collective thoughts and feelings is called an egregore. When we all meditate together we create a subtle field of loving unity. And when enough people meditate a particular tipping point in the egregore will be reached. Then the course of humanity will change.
48.
As the English proverb says:
Sow a thought and reap an action,
Sow an action and reap a habit,
Sow a habit and reap a character,
Sow a character and reap a destiny.
52.
There is another aspect to this modern pastime of TV and the internet. What are they all about? They remind us of our incompleteness. They remind us that, 'Your husband is not like this,' or 'Your children should be like this. They remind us that we do not have a house like this, we want a car like this, we do not have friends like this, we should eat food like this, and we must visit this or that holiday destination. We sit there filling our minds with expectations and dreams, with fantasies, fairy tales and excitement that are not in our own lives. We will always feel that dissatisfied sense of 'If only my life was like that!'
52 - 53.
But in addition to impressions formed by our thoughts and actions, we also form impressions by our inactions, creating more guilt. These are the things that we should do but don't, and they haunt us all our lives. For example, we may have hurt someone very dear to us without having ever said sorry. Impressions like that are difficult to remove.
53.
Also, as well as forming our own impressions, what about those times when we become the instrument of forming impressions in the lives of others? For example, a simple throw away criticism can hurt another person so deeply that they are disturbed for days. A flirtatious glance from a pretty girl can leave a young man gaga for weeks. And if we go on polluting this beautiful planet with our careless lifestyles, definitely there will be a consequence to our actions.
62.
Prayer is communication. It can range from the superficial to the profound: it can be a simple conversation, it can evolve to progressively deeper levels of communication and, eventually, it can become a state of communion. Prayer thus evolves as a potent way to communicate with God. Prayer is about connection, and how we activate the flow of Transmission through that connection. Prayer is also about how we eventually establish a state of osmosis in that flow.
84.
So while it is good to be actively meditating regularly, it is even better to be in a meditative state. We are actively meditating every morning and meditatively active all the time. We actually don't have to do much except close our eyes and be receptive.
88.
When we read Babuji's diaries as a disciple of Lalaji, it both humbled and motivates us. He writes that he did a few things simultaneously. These I have tried to emulate and found them very useful:
1. Always remain connected through your heart with your Guide,
2. Adjust yourself with your present inner condition and try to absorb it and deepen it,
3. Prepare for the condition that is to come next; wait for it, anticipate it and look forward to it, and
4. Always be vigilant about your surroundings: what must you be doing?
97 - 98.
As Polonius said to his son, Laertes, in Shakespeare's Hamlet:
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
103.
The Heart Region of a human being is the region associated with the dualities of everyday life. Every chakra has its own polarity or duality of feelings. The first chakra, or point 1 of the Heart Region, is in the lower left part of the chest where the physical heart is found. This point is associated with the element of earth, and when we meditate we may see a glimpse of the colour yellow in the inner environment. The spectrum of feelings here is desire versus contentment, which can be equated with the lack of desire known as vairagya in Yoga.
105.
The second chakra, point 2 of the Heart Region, is on the lower right side of the chest. This is the soul chakra, where the element is ether, also known as space or akasha, and we glimpse the colour red. At this point, we find so much peace that we don't feel like doing worldly things. Whether a businessman, a student or a housewife, we lose interest in everything for some time, because peace is so inviting and we do not want to be disturbed or distracted from it. That is the quality of the second point.
The spectrum of feelings here is from anxiety or restlessness to peace.
106.
The third chakra, or point 3 of the Heart Region, is on the upper left side of the chest. This is the fire point, where we may glimpse the colour white during meditation. The feelings at this chakra are more passionate and inspirational in nature, and the spectrum is that of anger versus love. We experience them according to the impressions and desires we hold: when anger and love are clouded by worldly desires, either one can pull us down into emotional entanglements, but when they are pure both of them can propel us further on our journey.
107.
When love and anger are thus refined at point 3, this experience then translates to the next duality at point 4, on the upper right side of the chest. Courage and fear are the dual qualities of point 4. The more we are able to purify and ennoble love and anger at point 3, the better the quality of courage and fear we will have. This is the water point, where we may glimpse the colour black, and the spectrum of feelings runs like the deep current of water, encompassing fear and courage.
108.
The fifth chakra, or point 5 of the Heart Region, is also known as the throat chakra in the older yogic traditions, and is the air point of the Heart Region. Here we may glimpse the green, and the spectrum we experience here is from illusion and confusion at one end to clarity and wisdom at the other. When the field of consciousness in the heart is pure, the air element brings great clarity and wisdom, whereas confusion and illusion are an indication that there is turbulence. When this is the case, it is an indication to pause and wait for clarity to come before making any decision.
110.
Points A, B, C and D
We are constantly playing with likes and dislikes in our hearts and they affect our thinking, often without us realising it. When we like certain things and dislike others, if those responses stay in our emotional field, they settle at point C near point 1 on the lower left side of the chest area. This is the strategic point in our spiritual anatomy, as it is the landing point for impressions to enter our system. From point the impressions gravitate towards various other satellite points near point 1 of the heart. This is because different emotions have different vibrations. For example, worldly worries settle at point A, sensuality and sexual desire settle at point B, and guilt settles at point D.
When we worry about our worldly problems and brood over them, it affects point A. None of us can escape worries.
111.
Actually when we worry about challenges, it is a good indication that we have to act upon our concerns and solve the problems, and finding solutions strengthens our self confidence and mental faculties. Whereas when we keep on worrying perpetually without solving the problems as they arise, it is only going to make it worse and create heaviness at point A.
111.
There is another emotion that creates deep impressions and that is guilt. Guilt is perhaps the heaviest impression we can form. It arises out of something we did not do but should have done, or something we did but should not have done. Guilt gives rise to a lot of heaviness in the heart and settles at point D.
161.
I think that this is the prerequisite for taking the next step: we neither accept nor do we not accept. I had come to a neutral mid-point.
162.
When we come to neutrality, it is as if a burden is lifted. Whether in family life or in business, before making a final decision, come to a neutral point and see whether you should accept or reject whatever it is. When we arrive at neutrality, we let go of our prejudices and preconceptions. Prejudices make our decisions one-sided, whereas when we are neutral we are able to see with a clear vision. With neutrality, confidence is emboldened. When the direction is right, the heart feels lighter.
164.
Any collective thought-form or vibration created by a group is called an egregore. The egregore in a church, a temple or a meditation hall is one of piety, unless of course people are thinking about their problems and worries instead of meditating or praying. Every place has a different vibration and we create that atmosphere through our collective thought patterns.
202 - 203
So what was the first samskara that came into being when we were first created? It was fear, the fear of separation from our Source. Once that first samskara of fear is removed, the rest of the samskaras are able to leave on their own if we remain open to change. And in Heartfulness, that foundation of the samskaric edifice, the primordial fear, is removed in the first few introductory Meditation sessions.
During the introductory Heartfulness Meditation sessions, three gifts are given:
1. The ability to effectively practise your own daily Cleaning is enabled,
2. The Divine Light already existing in your heart is ignited, and
3. The connection between your heart and the heart of the Guide is established.
212.
So the key is to take interest in how you conduct your life, because that is what destiny is all about. Kahlil Gibran wrote in his book, The Prophet, 'Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.' It is the same with meditation. Do it with love, do it with interest. Poise, focus and enthusiasm go a long way in creating the right vibratory field for us to design your destiny. It does not take much to change the trajectory of a life - in fact, it is as simple as turning our head from one side to the other.
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